MARA-BASED INDUSTRIAL LOW-COST IDENTIFICATION ASSAYS

Información del proyecto

MARILIA

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: 952110

DOI

10.3030/952110

Proyecto cerrado

Fecha de la firma de la CE 6 Mayo 2020

Fecha de inicio 1 Septiembre 2020

Fecha de finalización 28 Febrero 2023

Financiado con arreglo a

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)

Coste total

€ 2 000 741,25

Aportación de la UE

€ 1 999 972,50

Coordinado por

AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MARILIA (MARA-BASED INDUSTRIAL LOW-COST IDENTIFICATION ASSAYS)

Período documentado: 2022-03-01 hasta 2023-02-28

Resumen del contexto y de los objetivos generales del proyecto

The fast and cost-efficient detection of pathogens is highly important in many sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and food industry. However, current technologies are limited, and significant advances are required to develop lowcost detection assays that can detect a few bacterial cells within less than one hour. In the FETOpen project MARA, which is the basis for MARILIA, we have developed novel technologies and tools that have a high exploitation potential. Thus, we have initiated the follow-up project MARILIA, which aims to exploit these results and realise a new detection concept for the fast, low-cost identification of human pathogens in water samples.
In MARILIA, we aim to increase the technology readiness level (TRL) of our novel detection concept from TRL 2 to TRL 5. A well-balanced consortium has been established, comprising an applied research institute as coordinator
(AIT Austrian Institute of Technology), the University of Zagreb, the basic research institute Ruder Boskovic Institute, the SME Dayone acting as business incubator, and the large company IREN engaged as water supplier in northern Italy. If the MARILIA detection
assay meets our interally defined KPIs regarding specificity and sensitivity, a start-up will be founded to commercially exploit the innovations in the post-project phase.

Trabajo realizado desde el comienzo del proyecto hasta el final del período abarcado por el informe y los principales resultados hasta la fecha

The project has five work packages (WP). Two are dedicated to communication, dissemination, commercial expolitation, and project and innovation management. Within these two WPs, a detailed market and stakeholder analysis was conducted. Further, product requirements and specifications including legal and regulatory aspects were collected. Several use and test cases for our technologies were defined. A communication and dissemination toolkit including a project website and social media presence was elaborated. An IP protection and exploitation plan was elaborated. Finally, a business model for the MARILIA technologies was developed.

The other three WPs are dedicated to R&D and product development. So far, our activitied there resulted in at least three exploitable results. (I) A bacteria detection assay based on bacteria binding peptides, (II) site-specific introduction of DNA-tags on proteins, (III) software for the modelling of DNA/protein hybrid systems.
Three manuscripts were published, two others are currently under review. Two posters were presented at conferences.

Avances que van más allá del estado de la técnica e impacto potencial esperado (incluida la repercusión socioeconómica y las implicaciones sociales más amplias del proyecto hasta la fecha)

Based on our assesment, we consider that the project has improved the state of the art in two sectors. First, the chemical prototocols developed and evaluated for the regio-selective DNA-tagging of glycoproteins can be considered new. Second, in silico modeling framework provides new possibilities to model and validate DNA/protein hybrid structures.
Furthermore, we expect that we will develop a bacteria detection assay for water samples at the end of the project. The potential impact of this result is the foundation of a new startup commercially exploiting this technology.

MARILIA project logo